


The heart of a monster

by valerierosemberg



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV), The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Canon Rewrite, Could Be Canon, Dorian Has Issues, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Murder, No Beast So Fierce, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Rewrite, Sad, Season/Series 03, basil is only mentioned, dorian's thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:45:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valerierosemberg/pseuds/valerierosemberg
Summary: It was funny, yet sad, to realize something so obvious.





	The heart of a monster

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic in such a long time, I was just...not good. Hopefully, I'll be better now.  
> So...watched season 3 of penny dreadful and I have to say, this scene was one of my favourites, and while watching it I was also re-reading the Picture of Dorian Gray, so my mind started racing and like I really like writing scenes like this, I just wrote it all as it came to me, so I'm sorry if I made a mistake.

Dorian stood upright in front of the panting man; he wondered how could he get himself in such pitiful state, not only was he surrounded by women who would happily slit his throat and mix his blood with their wine by what lied between his legs, he was almost sobbing and looking at Lily with such eyes of a lost dog who got kicked by his owner. It bewildered him. 

-This must be the worst kidnapping in the annals of crime. 

She said that with a smile, but the tone was not that of mockery, it had a slight tinge of melancholy only noticeable by someone whose voice had bared it, such as himself, otherwise it would've been heard as simple joke combined with coldness. 

-May I? 

Justine's voice had been started to irritate him, but a new peak rose as she pronounced those words; he startled and at the corner of his eye he could notice Lily's hands moving involuntary, just about to rush and protect the man, but she stopped herself. Dorian acted almost immediately, not exactly knowing why he wanted to protect Victor. 

-No! 

An urgency stranger to him surged and a chill went down his spine. 

But, of course, the kid ignored his command and smiled childishly to Lily, marking every word and pressing the blade further as she repeated herself. 

-May I? 

He could've slapped her right there, but what good would that made to save the poor man. 

His partner took air slowly, clearly fixated on the way her former lover begged her silently. 

-Not yet... 

Nor ever, his mind completed her breathy sentence. 

But as much pity he somehow felt for the man, the whole hilarious absurdity of his plan still bothered him. 

-Did you really intend to kidnap her? 

The man shook heavily as he answered. 

-I intended to heal her. 

The extreme and unknown familiarity of the situation grew when those words reached his ears, making him furrow his brows and look from him to the woman addressed, back to him. 

It was not the words that were familiar to him, it was the intention. 

-But I'm not ill, Victor. I'm preternaturally healthy...as well you know. 

Justine moved her hand around the man's chest, rubbing in the salt her mistress had poured on his bleeding heart. 

-I have developed a serum, a medicine of sorts. I can take all your anger and rage and make it go away; make you whole...and human. Free from the burden of hate, unblemished by sadness. 

His words would be his doom, Dorian knew it; he didn't even need to turn to know Lily rolled her eyes since his first sentence and the rest just served to anger her step by step. 

-My sadness is my own, I would never give it up. 

She spoke proudly, her arms still crossed, offended by the proposition. 

Meanwhile, the child stared impatient, waiting, eager to the thought of slashing the man's throat. 

-But I can make you who you were... 

Without a pause, she spat the words with venom and a hurt undertone. 

-And you think that would be kindness? I've suffered long and hard to be who I am; I want my scars to show. 

The tears started to well even faster and Dorian would've liked to look away, but he couldn't, he saw too much of...something in him. 

-We were happy... 

His sad smile, almost hopeful was too much, but he couldn't look away...why? 

-No, Victor, you were happy. I was just waiting, for all of this. 

The broken shell of a man broke further, but somehow kept looking straight at her with those dog eyes of his. 

Justine lowered her head to speak into the man's ear, slurring with hatred every word. 

-You seek to violate us and call it a kindness. 

As the blade moved and Victor trembled, he could finally placed the elusive memory forcing him to witness this with worry. 

Basil Hallward. 

That name hadn't crossed his mind in centuries, at least not in a sober state, not without the intoxication of excess or the morbid fascination of his rotten reflection smiling vilely at him. 

But it was him that he saw in Victor, the man who loved him so much, he saw all his sins, the putrid image of his unholy soul and still believed he could be saved, he had been praying for his salvation just as he murdered him with violent anger, not feeling any remorse or worry for his actions. 

He wasn't just fascinated like Vanessa had been, enchanted by danger, or like Lily, seeking power and superiority...what Basil felt, just as this man did, was love. 

-Don't! 

He ordered firmly. 

With the same hatred, the girl turned to him. 

-I don't take orders from any man. 

Lily was slowly walking towards the scene, locking eyes with her creator. 

Dorian rolled his eyes, slight panic raising as he addressed her. 

-It's senseless to murder him. For what, loving you? Being foolish? 

He spoke words he wished someone had when he slaughtered his only hope for salvation. 

-Being a man! Let me do it. 

Victor hitched a breath, thinking it was going to be his last; all the faces waiting, eager. 

He walked over to his lover. 

-Lily...no. 

Sadness crossed her eyes as she pondered, the small woman with the razor licking her lips with anticipation. 

It amazed him the way the man kept looking at her and only at her, as if he wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he died. 

The woman's eyes seemed to water slightly before she answered, looking down quickly. 

-No. 

Immediately, the blade was removed by a disappointed girl. 

-I suppose I'm sentimental about him. Besides, you never know when we might need his unique services. 

She finished her last sentence by getting closer to him, taking his head between her fingers. He looked at her in such an adoring way, it disturbed him, it was the way Basil watched him as he drank a glass of wine and chatted along about nothings before he met...Henry. 

She then pulled him forward, his whole body shacking when she placed him on top of her breasts like a mother comforting her child, whispering to his hair. 

-Hear me boy. Mend your broken heart elsewhere; ease your conscience with another, I am done with you. The next time I see you I'll hold the razor myself. 

She finished the bizarre scene by kissing his hair. 

Dorian watched amazed, he watched her do something he hadn't found it on himself to do...she was trying to save him from herself, from all of what she was trying to accomplish. 

Could've...would've he done the same for Basil?  

He walked Victor to the door, silently crossing the hateful looks of the prostitutes around them. Just as he reached for the door, he kept his arm in front of the man, not letting him through. 

-What are you waiting on, my gratitude?  

Having composed himself enough, he scoffed. 

-You are in my debt, Victor. I will call on it. 

And after a moment, he moved and the man rushed outside. 

He looked as the doctor left, but then lowered his eyes with a sigh. 

He knew the answer well enough, and it saddened him, even if he could've predicted it easily. 

Yes, Victor loved Lily maybe a small amount less than Basil had loved him, but Dorian had never felt anything but a selfish need to save himself when he thought about his friend...Lily did loved Frankenstein. 

It was sad, yet funny, to find out even a monster was more human than he could ever be.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy ending? I mean...it's Penny Dreadful we're talking about.  
> That turned out better than I expected.  
> Hope you liked it too!


End file.
